Friday night is family night at IKEA Tampa! Kids Eat Free! Free Kids Craft Activity!

Each Friday, enjoy Family Night at IKEA Tampa!

Children ages 12 & under eat free from 4pm to 8pm. (Dine-in only. One per child. No adult purchase necessary)! Kids can choose from one of three combo meals created just for them.

Plus, on most Fridays there's a free hands-on kids activity from 5pm to 7pm (in the 2nd level Restaurant, unless otherwise noted).

So bookmark this page; and visit often to see what's cookin' during Family Night at IKEA Tampa.

Upcoming Crafts:

April 22 - Prepare for Easter, Swedish-style, by painting colorful eggs with us.
April 29 - Have fun making an Earth-friendly craft project with recycled items.

May 6 - In preparation for Mothers’ Day, decorate an IKEA OVANLIG vase for someone special.

May 13 - Join us to create your very own flower-- like the colorful blooms in May.

May 20 - Design a turtle shell to help increase respect and awareness of these special creatures in support of World Turtle Day.

May 27 - Memorial Day is right around the corner. Prepare to celebrate by making a flag magnet for your patriotic celebration.

Celebrate Valentine’s Day at IKEA Tampa with a special dinner -- Mon., Feb. 14th from 5pm to 7:30pm

This just in from the folks at IKEA Tampa...

"Bring your family, friends and sweetheart to IKEA Tampa, Monday, February 14, from 5 pm-7:30 pm for a special Valentine’s dinner featuring your choice of beef tenderloin, chicken piccata, or soy ginger glazed salmon; oven roasted potatoes; shitake mushroom risotto; salad or soup; coffee or tea; and an assortment of tempting desserts for only $14.99. For your little Hearts, our regular children’s menu features three items for just $2.49. We will even take care of your tray and refill your complimentary HEDLIG Champaign flute with a sparkling beverage! Reservations are required. For more details or to make a reservation please call, 813-623-4042, ext.1208"

Literacy Celebrated at IKEA Tampa Oct. 18 – 25, 2009

This month marks the 30th year the IKEA BILLY bookcase — one of the cornerstones of the IKEA concept — has supported a better everyday life for many people through its use in home libraries by millions of families throughout the world. To commemorate this milestone, IKEA Tampa is partnering with other Tampa Bay organizations to help all families, regardless of income, build a home library of their own, as well as to encourage reading through special events in the store from Sunday, Oct. 18 through Sunday, Oct. 25.

On Monday, Oct. 19 at 10am, Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio will proclaim Oct. 19 – 25, 2009 “BILLY Book Week” in Tampa prior to reading a story to all DeSoto Elementary School second-grade students at the IKEA restaurant. Following the Mayor’s book reading, the children will stay for a free BILLY Brunch.

Throughout the week, Tampa Bay area mascots will lead BILLY Book Readings:

Sunday, Oct. 18 · 2pm to 4pm: University of South Florida’s Rocky the Bull & friends

Tuesday, Oct. 20 · 6pm to 7pm: Tampa Bay Rays’ Raymond & friends

Saturday, Oct. 24 · 2pm to 4pm: It’s All About Kids’ Buzz the Literacy Bee & friends

Sunday, Oct. 25 · 2pm to 4pm: Tampa Bay Lightning’s Thunderbug & friends

All story events take place in the BILLY Book Room, located in the IKEA Showroom Wall Units & Media Storage department (2nd level).

In Småland, IKEA’s free, supervised play area for children 37” to 54” tall, kids can enjoy the classic Norwegian tale of Three Billy Goats Gruff and special crafts from Oct. 18 – 25, all day, every day. Plus, from Oct. 19 – 25, all children 12 years old and under, eat free in the IKEA Restaurant!

BILLY Book Drive... From Oct. 18 – 25, customers, alongside IKEA Tampa co-workers, are encouraged to bring new and gently-used books for children, tweens, and teens to the store. In partnership with DeSoto Elementary School, a Tampa Title I school located near IKEA Tampa, books collected will be sorted and classified according to grade and reading levels and then donated to DeSoto Elementary School children to help the children and their families develop a home library of their own. IKEA will donate five BILLY bookcases to the school for their own library.

A second BILLY Book Drive collection site is located at Century Buick Pontiac GMC, 3308 West Hillsborough Ave., Tampa.

A birthday gift for all Billys... Also from Oct. 18 – 25, in celebration of the BILLY bookcase 30th birthday, any person named “Billy” who is 18 years or older and also celebrating a birthday between Oct. 18 – 25, can receive a $30 IKEA Gift Card (redeemable with valid ID at the IKEA Self Serve Check Out). Plus, everyone visiting IKEA Tampa Oct. 18 – 25 can enter to win two other BILLY birthday gifts: “Win a Buick Enclave for a Day” or “$100 IKEA Gift Card.”

Tampa Bay Lightning Family Weekend at IKEA Tampa: Friday-Sunday, Oct. 2-4, 2009

Tampa Bay Lightning Stanley Cup champion and fan-favorite Dave Andreychuk hosts a commemorative puck drop at IKEA Tampa on Friday, October 2 at 7:00pm to launch an IKEA Tampa/Tampa Bay Lightning partnership for the 2009-10 season. The October 2 announcement starts the “Lightning Family Weekend” at IKEA, with a game plan that promises fun for people of all ages!

Friday, October 2, 6pm to 8pm: Friday Night “Face Off”

The Bolt Brigade, Lightning Girls, and Lightning fan-favorite Dave Andreychuk. Fans can check out the new Lightning mobile marketing truck & trailer, an interactive unit which brings Lightning hockey on the road. Chances to win Lightning game tickets courtesy of IKEA Tampa, and prize giveaways. After the 7pm commemorative puck drop, Dave Andreychuk will sign autographs and take pictures with fans. Bring your camera!

Saturday, October 3, 1pm to 4pm: Slap Shot Saturday

A special appearance by Thunderbug (2pm to 4pm) and Bolt Brigade. Free commemorative pictures (1pm to 3pm). Chances to win Lightning game tickets courtesy of IKEA Tampa, and prize giveaways.

Sunday, October 4, 1pm to 3pm: Sunday Scramble

Last opportunity to score Lightning game tickets courtesy of IKEA Tampa, and prize giveaways. Free commemorative pictures.

“This partnership is designed to support the economic development of the Channelside/Ybor City residential and entertainment districts through unique cross-promotions,” says IKEA Tampa Store Manager Monica Varela. “Channelside and Ybor City have so much to offer residents from throughout the Tampa Bay area; we are thrilled to reach out to our neighbors to provide additional promotional activity to help all our businesses.”

For more information on the activities and promotions resulting from the IKEA / Tampa Bay Lightning partnership, please click here.

IKEA Tampa Fans on Twitter

@IKEATampaFans is on Twitter!! For the latest updates on your favorite Tampa store, 140 characters at a time, please visit us here... http://twitter.com/IKEATampaFans

You don't have to be signed up to Twitter to read the updates, but it makes it a lot more fun if we can "tweet" with you. See you in the Twitterverse!

Larger-Than-Life IKEA Bottles to "Wash Up" at the St. Pete Pier This Weekend!!

LARGER-THAN-LIFE BOTTLES BEACHSIDE NEAR ST. PETERSBURG PIER CONTAIN MESSAGES FROM HOMES AND FREE MEALS

 

IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings retailer, today revealed plans for oversized glass bottles displaying IKEA products to convey ‘messages’ near the St. Petersburg Pier throughout Memorial Day weekend.  Tampa Bay-area residents and visitors will have the opportunity to experience the furniture and inspiration found inside the new IKEA Tampa – which opened May 6, 2009 near Ybor City – while still enjoying the sun and sand during their holiday weekend.

The four giant ‘message’ bottles, each upward of 6-feet tall, respectively, will contain a life-sized chair, bookshelf, bed and children’s furniture.  In addition, IKEA representatives will be distributing 6,000 smaller bottles containing a ‘message’ asking passers-by if their homes are trying to send them a message.  Each mini-bottle’s scroll will include a coupon for a free meal in the IKEA Tampa restaurant. Visitors to this IKEA ‘Message in a Bottle’ event also will have the opportunity to enter a drawing to win an EKTORP seating arrangement – a set including an armchair, love seat and sofa.  The event will run from Friday, May 22 through Monday, May 25 in the Waterside Courtyard at the St. Petersburg Pier. Free meal coupons will be valid through June 14, 2009.     

“We wanted to continue the fun and outreach begun with the May 6 grand opening of IKEA Tampa,” said Monica Varela, store manager of IKEA Tampa. “Since IKEA offers solutions for the home, we want to provide Tampa Bay-area residents and visitors the opportunity to see our affordable, stylish and functional furnishings, while still allowing them to enjoy the beach.  And, if they’re hungry and looking for a place to eat over the weekend or during the next few weeks, they can come to our restaurant with their coupon and get a great, free meal.”

"Where has your Blue Bag been?" Contest

Enter IKEA's eco-friendly "Where has your Blue Bag been?" contest to win travel & gift card prizes!

Share your unique photo, blog, video or digital photo/art that showcases just how you might use or 'wish' to use your IKEA Blue Bag. You could win a fabulous trip to an eco-friendly destination or a spa retreat and an IKEA Gift Card worth up to $100. Plus winners every week will win a $100 IKEA Gift Card. Click here to get started. Or here to see the entries already submitted.

IKEA Tampa Opens!!

To read all about today's IKEA Tampa grand opening festivities, and to see all of the photos from today's celebration, please click here. (You do not need a Twitter account to view the pics or read the tweets.)

Here are just a few pics...

This pic is of Shelby, she was first in line! Shelby and her brother and friends were super nice and fun, just really great people!!

Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio and IKEA Tampa Store Manager Monica Varela sawed a ceremonial log in half which officially opened the new store at 9am. "Sawing a log in Sweden actually brings good luck to the new home and its future guests," Ikea spokesperson Joseph Roth said. "We view Ikea Tampa as our new home ... so we really like to inaugurate in the same way and welcome all these visitors who are going to be guests in our new home."

In addition to brief remarks by Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio, Varela was joined by Tampa Council Chairman Thomas Scott who raised the U.S. flag; Honorary Swedish Consul B-G Holmberg who raised the Swedish flag; and Special Assistant to the Governor Michelle Todd who raised the Florida flag. 

The lines were long, but the time flew by with a lot of entertainment and freebies. Everyone was in by 10am-ish.

Upon entering the lobby, hundreds of IKEA Tampa co-workers greeted very excited shoppers with thunderstick and cheering...

“We are excited to bring the unique IKEA family-friendly shopping experience to the Tampa Bay area and beyond,” said Varela.  “The enthusiasm the IKEA Tampa coworker family felt about this big day and about opening the store translated into excitement and a great shopping experience for customers.”

 

Last but not least, meatballs for breakfast at the new store! (When you get up at 5:30am, meatballs at 10:30am actually doesn't seem that odd :)...

  

IKEA Media Day and Store Tour - A Sneak Peek Inside!!

This past Wednesday was a fantastic day! Yours truly and just about every news outlet in Tampa were present for a wonderful media event at the new IKEA Tampa. The event started at 12:30pm with a grand Swedish lunch buffet, followed by tours of the store and wonderful parting gifts (including cinnamon buns and PS tealight holders).

We even had the opportunity to jump in the ball pit in Smaland. On average, I believe that each of us took about a million photos. Check out these links to see a sneak peek inside the new IKEA Tampa...

We tweeted live from inside the store via the iPhone... to see the tweets and the pics that were posted during the event, check out @IKEATampa on Twitter here

TBO IKEA Tampa Preview Tour Photos

Creative Loafing IKEA Tampa Photo Tour

Lakeland Ledger IKEA Tampa Photos

93.3 FLZ IKEA Tampa Photo Gallery

Metromix Stockholm Syndrome: The Shopping Edition IKEA Tampa Photo Gallery

IKEA Tampa Fan Page now on Twitter!

You can now follow the IKEA Tampa fan page on Twitter. The IKEA Tampa Twitter account will be updated frequently with IKEA Tampa grand opening news, and anything else IKEA Tampa related. To visit the IKEA Tampa fan page on Twitter, please click here.